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| Visa : Foreigners cannot enter Vietnam without a visa. Tourist visas are usually granted at Vietnamese embassies and consulates abroad. Business travellers should apply for a visa through a Vietnamese sponsoring agency, providing them with the following details: - Full name - Date and place of birth - Profession - Passport number - Date of issue and expiry - Nationality (original and present) - Date and point of entry to Vietnam. The sponsor will forward these details to the Vietnamese Immigration Authorities. Approval for the visit may take 7-10 days. The relevant Vietnamese embassy or consulate is notified by telex of the Visa approval. When notified, take the telex number and 2-4 passport photos with you to collect your visa. Business visas may be for up to six months and allow for multiple entry. Customs and Immigration : On arrival in Vietnam, you must complete white and blue duplicate arrival-depature forms. The blue copy is to be kept with your passport at all times. Hotels, guest houses and private hosts must register overnight guests with the local police and these blue forms are essential for this purpose. Incoming visitors must also fill out duplicate yellow and white customs declairation forms. The yellow copy is to remain with your passport until depature. Don't lose it! Customs demands that you declare foreign currency in excess of US$ 7,000, gold and jewellery not for personal use and video tapes. Duty free allowances are 200 cigarettes, two litres of alcohol, and perfume and jewellery for personal use. Banned Material Vietnam has strict laws on bringing in anti-goveronment literature, pornography, fireams and weapons. CDs and tapes are often retained for screening, but will be returned after a few days. It is illegal to remove antiques from Vietnam. When buying handicrafts, especially those that look old, ask the retailer for a receipt and declaration that the item may be exported. Post and Telecommunications : Post Services A regular international post service is available. In addition, there are some new specialized services: - Express Mail Service (EMS). The domestic EMS ensures that letters and small parcels are delivered within 24-48 hours. International EMS is associated with nearly 30 countries worldwide, with a delivery time ranging from 2 to 10 days. Air mail and small parcels, however, must be subject to additional charges. - Express money transfer. Money is delivered to the receiver within 24 hours. - Flower delivery can be ordered by telephone. This service delivers messages such as greetings or condolences, together with flowers, money, or goods (allowed in circulation) to the receiver by request of the sender. Telecommunicational Services Telephone - International long-distance calls (direct). To make an international direct dial (IDD) call, you must first dial the international prefix (00) followed by the country code, area code, and the local number. In case you fail to contact the required number, dial 110 for the operator's help. - Domestic long-distance calls. To place a domestic long-distance call, you must first dial the national trunk prefix (01) followed by the area code and local number. If you fail to get the required number, dial 101 for the operator's help. Facsimile (Fax) Fax machines are quickly proliferating in Vietnam. Public and registered fax machines are available in hotels, businesses, and public offices. Also available are local and international phonecards, mobile phone, paging, and data base netlink services. - The "108" enquiries service is for enquiries by phone on socioeconomic and cultural information. - This service also runs an advertisements and business self introduction scheme. Currency : The currency issued by the Vietnam State Bank is the dong (abbreviated "d" or VND) which is used uniformly throughout the country. Bank notes in domination of are presently in circulation. Traveller's cheques and credit cards (American Express, Visa, Mastercard) are exchanged for Vietnamese dong in banks. Cards can be used in travel agencies, hotels, and major restaurants. US currency is exchanged for Vietnamese dong and treasury notes in banks, exchange bureaus, hotels, and jewellery shops. The exchange rate always changes. When leaving the country, remaining Vietnamese currency can be exchanged for US dollars at the exchange bureau at the airport. Vietnam Time (GMT plus 7 hours) : Office hours All Government offices are opened from 7.30 a.m. to 16.30 p.m.(with a one-hour lunch break) from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday are holiday. In local regions, offices are opened from 7:00 am to 11:00 p.m. and from 13:00p.m. to 17:00 p.m. Banks are opened from 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. to 15:30p.m. Banks are closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Private shops are opened from 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. to 21:00 or 22:00 p.m. Language : Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam. Learning foreign languages, such as: English, Fench, Chinese is implemented widely and particularly in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Da Nang. Tourist guides can speak English, French, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. Public Holidays : Sunday is a holiday for all state Institutions. There are also 8 other holiday each year: Holiday : January 1 - New Year's Day, (one day-holiday) April 30 - Saigon Liberation Day, (one day-holiday) May 1 - International Labour Day, (one-day holiday) September 2 - ational Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, (one-day holiday) Vietnam Traditional Lunar New Year Festival - Tet Nguyen Dan: (Four-days holiday). It often fails in January or February. The holiday begins on the eve and the first three days of a Lunar New Year Emergency Telephone Numbers :
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